COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – After the tapas success of 22 Ships and Ham & Sherry, restaurateur Yenn Wong and chef Jason Atherton have paired up again for their most ambitious project yet. Aberdeen Street Social aims not just to impress but to be a Mid-levels landmark. Located in the brand new PMQ space, which is already becoming Hong Kong’s ultimate hipster ghetto, it occupies two floors directly looking over Hollywood Road.
The two levels are split into distinct concepts. Downstairs includes a casual cocktail bar and pastry shop that spills onto an outdoor patio; while upstairs is a posh dining room offering modern British cuisine by executive chef Chris Whitmore. The overall vibe is contemporary sophistication rather than stuffy fine dining.
Its restrained luxury is evident in the servers’ Thom Browne suits and the amuse bouche (on this night, a dab of crab over a tiny donut and a tasty parmesan biscuit) presented in simple wooden boxes. It’s also in the basic one page menu in type so small we had to squint to read it. The appetisers are called ‘To Start’, the mains are simply ‘To Follow’. In fact, everything is so understated it was a bit of shock when we noticed a waiter bringing a garish cocktail with a light-changing ice cube inside to another table. That kind of thing is more appropriate for a Mongkok bar.
As for the food, Atherton and Whitmore sticks to hearty flavours enjoyed in common British fare, but now they’re reshaped into more chic entrees. After all, their target clientele is too Epicurean for Spaghetti Bolognese. But they’ll order it if it’s called ‘Ravioli of Suffolk Pork, Berkswell Cheese, Peppered Hearts and Kidney’ (HK$218). Undeniably it is still delicious.
Equally impressive looking appetisers full of familiar comfort flavours include the earthy ‘Beetroot-cured Salmon, Salt Baked Beetroot, Creme Fraiche’ (HK$200) and ‘Roasted Quail Breast, Confit Leg, Sautéed Foie Gras, Peach Chutney and Chinese Almonds’ (HK$245).
The mains show a lighter hand in manipulating the ingredients. A simple but tad under-seasoned ‘Roasted Seabass’ with a very crispy skin is paired with even more coastal nuances with tiny brown shrimps, samphire, kale and a mustard veloute (HK$308).
The ‘Lamb Rump, Confit Neck, Peas with Mint and Charred Courgette’ (HK$378) and ‘Braised Ox-Cheek, Roasted Bone Marrow, Sourdough Crumb, Carrot and Horseradish Mash’ (HK$318) also show the chef’s plating skills with familiar nourishing dishes.
Where Aberdeen Street Social proves most daring is its desserts (all HK$110). Pastry chef Andres Lara’s resume boasts stints at El Bulli and Noma, and his eclectic options for ‘To Finish’ are all tantalizing if abstract in form.
Not everything works but even those that fall short are impressive, spectacular failures. The ‘Chinese Almond’ incorporating their own preserved kumquats, a roasted coffee ice cream, dates and Moroccan spices could use more of the eponymous mellow almond flavours. The beautifully presented ‘Apple Pear’ reengineers butterscotch with caramel toffee, soy, brown butter and tamarind.
Atherton and Wong have always masterfully marketed their venues for maximum trending value and there’s no reason to think Aberdeen Street Social won’t be just as popular. The only thing they might regret is the moniker which some smartass foodies has already shortened into its acronym. Hence, you have jokers asking their friends, “have you eaten at ASS yet?”
Photos: Iggy Cocobutter
FIND IT!
Aberdeen Street Social
PMQ, JPC G/Floor
35 Aberdeen Street, Central
(entrance at Hollywood Road intersection of Aberdeen Street)
Tel: +852 2866 0300
Reader Interactions